Truss-bridge



UNITED STATES xPATENT Y Osmosi. I

HENRY w. RAMsAY, or LINCOLN, NEBRASKA., f

lieues-BRIDGE.

v SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 381,163, dated April I7, 188.8. v

Appncationnied september 21,1881. smal No. 250,367. No model.) I'

y To aZZ whom ib mar/concern,.-

Be it known that I, HENRY W. RAMSAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TiussBridges; and I' do hereby declare the following to-be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this/specification.

My invention ,relates lto improvements in truss-bridges; and the objects of my invention are to provide a more economical and durable truss-bridgethanheretofore known and used,

vand to providemeans for utilizing old rails,-

and iron.

My invention consists in the combination of railway T- rails'usedwas s'tringers and trusses, inthe manner substantially as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

.In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side v1ew of a truss-bridge embodying my invention; Fig. 2, detailedy views of the splice-plates; Fig. 3, detailed views ofthe trussfstrut; Fig.y

4, an end`view of my improved truss-bridge;

Figli,- a side view of a part of the truss-bridge, showing adjustable strips or rods used in place of T-railsto form the. trusses; and Fig. 6, -an end view thereof.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. f Y

The letter A designates the piles of my improved bridge, each pile being topped with a cap, a, doweled thereto. yThe cross-pieces B of my invention are T-rails placed flange to flange and having the interstices over the piles f occupied by metal sections. The dowels securresenting, respectivelya side and end view of the splice-plate b. ,y j

The splice-plate b and cross-pieces B are rmlysecured by the bolts b', passing through the lapped-down ends of the splice-plate b, the cross-pieces B, and intervening sections.Y

The stringers C andtrusses D of my invention are formed of T-rails standing iange to ange and having the interstices at different pointsoccupied with metal sections.` y The sides of the splice-plate b are turned up Vand lapped over the outer flanges of the outer stringers, C.

The y'splice-plate b, stringers C, and trusses 1 f D are firmly secured by thebolts c, passing through the turned-up sidesof the splice-plate b, the stringers C, trussesD, and intervening'v sections. The stringers,() extend from vpile tol pile in the usual manner, and adapted tothem y v are the ties E, upon which -restthe track-rails F. The' trusses D, which, as indicated bythe drawings, are placed intermediate to the stringf ers C, project from the pile A downward at v ,Y

about an angle of forty-five degrees, until at the center of the span they are bent' upward at the samel angle'torest upon the next pile-lei.l

The letter .G designatesla strut formed'of'., four sheets of sheet metal riveted together. at f the edges, each edge of each side of. thestrut being turned outward to be, riveted to theinner side of each end of the strut. Th'cupper ends of each side of the strut project upward next to' the inner ange of each outer Stringer, j

Y G. A bolt passes through the stringers C,'hav

ing at that point also the interstices occupied' 8s'A with metal sections, the interveningsections, andupwardly-projectingY ends of each side ofv the strut. The lower ends of each side of the.

strut G'project *downwardy ynext to the outer l side of each of the trusses D, and a bolt passes through the downwardly-projecting `ends of each side of the strut Get-russes D, and interr,Vening sections placed at that point between r the .trusses D.

In Fig. 3 aredetailed viewsof the strut-y G, j

the rightward and leftwardview presenting', respectively, an end and side view of the strut. To each span of vthe bridge one orfmoreof the struts G may be used, as deemed necesf sary. In along spanit may be found more desirable to form thetrusses-D out'of stripslor rods of metal, two of such strips or rodstaking ,looy

the place of each one of the trusses D. In this case the better construction is to have one of the strips or rods of each set of such truss strips or rods Ito pass from. pile to pi1e of the bridge and under the main strutGand the other strip or rod to pass under an intermediate strut, G', and over the main strut G. rEhe requisite tension can be secured in this construction by providing the trusses D with coupling-nuts d.

Fig. 5 presents a side view, and Fig. 6 an end view, of my trussbridge constructed aslast described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination, in a truss-bridge, of

Witnesses:

C. S. TREVITT, WILLIAM HAMELTON. 

